[Verse 1]
Back in seventy-three the lines began to split
Worker productivity climbing bit by bit
But paychecks stayed the same while profits soared up high
The gap kept getting wider, now we're asking why
Machines made us faster, output doubled down
But where did all that value go? Not trickling around
[Chorus]
Productivity up, compensation flat
That's the decoupling trap, where the surplus is at
Jevons Paradox shows efficiency's trick
Demand just expands, expectations get thick
If you don't negotiate, the gains slip away
Productivity up, but who gets the pay?
[Verse 2]
Think about the last time you got really good
At some task at your job, worked faster than you should
Did you get more money? Did you get free time?
Or did they pile on more work, expectations climb?
The surplus that you generated, where did it land?
In someone else's pocket, not in your hands
[Chorus]
Productivity up, compensation flat
That's the decoupling trap, where the surplus is at
Jevons Paradox shows efficiency's trick
Demand just expands, expectations get thick
If you don't negotiate, the gains slip away
Productivity up, but who gets the pay?
[Bridge]
AI makes us faster, algorithms run
But history repeats what automation's done
Labor's share of GDP keeps sliding down the scale
Unless we intervene, workers always fail
Map your efficiency gains from the past
Who captured the value? Make this knowledge last
[Verse 3]
Economic Policy Institute's data makes it clear
Fifty years of evidence that we should all fear
Without active intervention, the pattern will repeat
AI efficiency gains make the cycle complete
So when you boost your output with artificial aid
Make sure that surplus value gets properly paid
[Chorus]
Productivity up, compensation flat
That's the decoupling trap, where the surplus is at
Jevons Paradox shows efficiency's trick
Demand just expands, expectations get thick
If you don't negotiate, the gains slip away
Productivity up, but who gets the pay?
[Outro]
Know your worth and claim your share
The surplus won't divide with prayer
Productivity up, but make them pay
Negotiate your value every single day